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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · season · racket · stick · snap · rock · band · branch

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rock — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mug — to rob
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. branch — a division
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mug — a face
  18. band — a music group
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mug — a cup
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com